Oldest US veteran of WWII celebrates his 112th birthday

A Louisiana man who is the oldest living World War II veteran in the United States is marking his 112th birthday today.

Lawrence Brooks celebrated with a drive-by party at his New Orleans home, hosted by the National War War II Museum, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports. He also received greetings from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, who tweeted, “Mr. Brooks, the entire state of Louisiana thanks you for your service and we all wish you a joyous birthday.”

The museum has previously hosted parties for Brooks, although the coronavirus pandemic has caused those events to shift to drive-by celebrations for the past two years.

Born in Norwood, Louisiana, in 1909, Brooks has lived in New Orleans since 1929. Drafted in 1940, he was a private in the Army’s mostly Black 91st Engineer Battalion, a unit that was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines, and built infrastructure such as bridges, roads, and airstrips.